The Setting Sun
by ProbablyNotAHat
Summary: On a chilly evening before the final day, Akane and Kotarou face their worries together. A retelling of a certain scene in the last episode, told from Kotarou's perspective.


The hand-knitted scarf rests on my neck, a bundle of warmth in the autumn chill. I brush at its tailored end as I see Akane out of the corner of my eye, watching a grove of blossoms across a quiet bridge. Dusk shines from her curled hair as she raises her head, face lighting up as I join her at the parapet.

"Sorry, did I keep you waiting?" I try to meet her sunset-hazel eyes, but her head is lowered, glancing at my scarf. I spot the blue fabric reflected in her gaze, speckled with glimmers of happiness.

"No," she smiles, raising her head and tilting it to the side. "Follow me."

The pit-pat of trickling water runs below as we walk down the bridge. A riverside path is in front of us, lined by maples laughing in red and orange. I peek at the stream—a heron is resting in the distance. The muffled sound of our steps fills the air between our hands.

My words start out faint, fluttering. "Moving away must be a lot of work."

"My family's used to it," she sighs. A brief silence follows her voice, and I can't help but break it.

"You'll be going tomorrow, right?"

"Yep."

We take a few quiet steps before I turn to Akane, smiling. "When can we meet again?"

"Whenever," she says, returning my smile with a soft grin.

"I'll come every week, then." I begin to lift my head, looking at the makeshift bridge of stones in the river beside us.

Suddenly, I feel a flux of empty air beside me. Akane's paused behind, looking down. I turn back towards her, throat tightening. "Should I not?"

"No!" she exclaims, hands at her side. "I mean—train tickets are expensive..."

Relief sweeps over me as she responds. "Oh, don't worry about me. I'll find work, that's all."

Something sets in her eyes as we start walking again, slower this time, along the glistening river and up to the stones. "I'll get a job, too," she began.

I catch my breath as I turn mid-step to face her. I couldn't even think of Akane giving up running to make room for work. "But—what about track?"

"I…want to keep—"

She doesn't need to say anything else. "I'll go, it'll be alright." I jump across the first few stones in the river as I talk. "If I work, hm, three times a week, then I'll make enough to visit you."

"But—"

"The train will be a two-hour ride?"

"Yeah..."

The scarf drifts with me as I turn back to Akane, resting on my shoulders as I keep my balance on the rock. "Then I'll take the first train in the morning!" I turn away before she responds, skipping to the other side of the river. "It'll be the same as always. We'll have LINE, too."

I look behind me to see her standing on the other side, eyes on the river. She's jumping across the bridge with her head down, only looking up to reply. "But—you're doing everything yourself," she says.

"It'll be fine."

"I've saved up money too," she adds, voice tapering.

"Don't worry about it," I insist. She's almost here now, one more jump. I take a few steps down the path to make room for her at the other end, back turned—

"That's not it!" Akane cries out. She stands still, planting her feet on the last rock. Her eyes are staring past me, auburn mirrors mere moments ago, now wells filled with a profound distance. "I wanted to ask you something," she says, voice barely above a whisper.

I nod my head. For a second I think of holding my hand out for her to take, but her change in expression makes me keep it still.

Her eyes are still on the river, stuck on a small creek between the last rock and the shore. "Did she confess to you? Chinatsu told me."

I catch my breath, stepping closer to the riverbank. My face nudges closer to the warmth of the scarf as I sink my chin into the weaves.

"She did," I answered.

"Why?" Her voice is a sliver of cold. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I-I turned her down." I look away, lowering my eyes. I hadn't even thought of bringing yesterday up until now. It seemed like the right thing to do, but now—

"Shouldn't you have told me that?" Her breath shallows into stifled cries, shoulders breaking into shivers. I see her head crane away. "I get worried sometimes..."

"What's wrong?" I ask. Her eyes sink deeper, the river below rippling in tiny wavelets at her feet. Tears. She raises the back of her wrist to her cheek, turning away from me. My heart twists as I take another step.

Akane's eyes lift, a downpour. "I don't know, but I keep getting anxious, so anxious—"

Before I could choke back my own tears, I take Akane's hand in mine, helping her to the other side of the river. Our fingers clasp together as we sit down on the wilting grass, legs dangling from the shore. Her head falls against my shoulders, and my head starts to rest on hers.

She stammers a _sorry_, and my voice is caught as I try to make my own apology.

"I keep making trouble for you, that's the worst thing about me," she mutters between sobs. I feel her hand clutching me tighter with every word. "Wh-what should I do?" Her voice starts to fade into mumbles as my tears fall on her hair.

"Akane, you've only made me happy!" I say on impulse. I shakily untie my scarf, pressing the cloth against my own cheek before wiping Akane's eyes with the other side. "I'm—sorry about yesterday, I should've told you about what happened."

Akane buries her face in the scarf, shaking her head. "I feel...I feel like it's not fair that you're going to do everything for us. For me." Her misty eyes raise to meet mine. "Shouldn't I work too? Sh-shouldn't we take turns visiting?"

I turn my head, blinking. "But you'll be busy and—I don't want you to give up the things you love to see me."

She looks away for a second. Her shoulders lie still, for a moment. "I guess we feel the same, then. But...no matter what happens," she pauses, and quickly sets her eyes on mine, "nothing will stop us from seeing each other."

Resolve sets through her shivering eyes like winter stars. I feel safe as I meet her gaze. "We'll both do our best," I say, smiling with the last tear on my chin, "I know we will."

We sit with our hands weaved together, wrapped from the outside world in veils of shared silence. Turning my head, I breathe as we join in a gaze once more, hearts racing. I spot the benippo doll at Akane's side, clenched in her right hand. Wistful glints appear in her expression as she tilts her head; I close my eyes as our lips come together.

Our hands raise to our heads, hers brushing my cheek, mine resting on her shoulders. Eternity feels too short as we kiss, finally closing the distance that had formed between us. I want nothing more than to stay like this forever, locking in an embrace tighter than love. Waves tinged with melancholy wash over me as I feel her pulling away, breathless. We look at each other with the same expression of reassurance. _Everything is going to be okay._

She's the first to speak. "We'll take the morning train every week, won't we?"

I beam, smiling for the first time since we crossed the river. "Of course."

Glimpses of the evening scene fall around us. Rays of sunlight peek above the horizon of empty trees, reflected by the water at our side. Our heads touch as we watch the sunset, hands weaved together at our side.


End file.
